SHAH ALAM - More aid, value added programmes are needed for students to excel in higher education, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
In an engagement session with Yayasan Selangor at the Grand Dorsett Subang here, Fadhlina expressed her hopes that foundations can add more allocations for aid, programmes and educational opportunities, especially in encouraging more students to continue their studies to a higher level.
"As we know, only about half of SPM graduates continue their studies to a higher level, so this number or percentage should be increased.
"This is our common challenge in developing knowledgeable and skilled human capital. It is with knowledge and skills that one can remove oneself and society from the cocoon of poverty.
"It is with knowledge and skills that we can develop and advance the country in the direction we aspire to. Only knowledge and skills can generate progress and advance the economy," she reasoned.
Fadhlina further added that knowledge and skills can improve the standard of living and prosperity of the country. Therefore she shared seven main cores of the Education Ministry (MOE), 'Karamah Insaniah' which is an aspect that is emphasised in the seven main cores.
"Communication between the ministry and schools need to be conducted efficiently and transparently, while emphasising the aspect of moral character through the formation of manners, morals and integrity.
"Next is paying attention to the issue of multidimensional poverty of students from B40 families, including from the aspects of malnutrition, devices and learning plans.
"Paying attention to the issue of dropping out of education as well as literacy and numeracy problems.
"Next is focus on the welfare of teachers, focus on efforts to renovate and upgrade schools that have poor buildings, especially in Sabah and Sarawak also to improve the ability of digital education in schools," she said.
Fadhlina further said that the Karamah Insaniah raises the dignity and self-esteem (human dignity) of every student in the context of the National Education Philosophy.
Aspects of moral character through the formation of manners, morals and integrity as well as the virtue of teachers need to be used as a test of the effectiveness of education delivery, Fadhlina said.
"Soft skills refer to skills related to self-development and interpersonal skills.
"It includes skills such as courage, perseverance, patience, communication skills, leadership, cooperation, creativity and others.
"The concept is also important in Islam and these values can be applied in various aspects of life, including among students," she reasoned.
In order to face the challenge of dignifying these intellectual skills, Fadhlina said the fundamentals of intellectuality among students need to be strengthened
Fadhlina was speaking at the engagement session between the ministry and state foundations including Yayasan Selangor.
Meanwhile Yayasan Selangor Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eddie Ahmad Khodzali in his speech said Yayasan Selangor is committed to the national education development agenda that has been put forth by the Education Ministry.
"I hope that in the future we will have many more engagement sessions with the ministry and with other relevant ministries as well.
"We hope that the engagement session can be a cornerstone for us to work together among state foundations and fuel ideas which is holistic and practical and dynamic towards uplifting the state and national education agenda." he said